2025 Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region
13
Colleges in the Southeast Region
1,271
Public Policy Degrees Awarded
$56,036
Avg Early-Career Salary
If you plan on majoring in
public policy, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #113 in the country in terms of popularity. As a result, there are many college that offer the degree, making your choice of school a hard one.
College Factual reviewed 13 schools in the Southeast Region to determine which ones were the best for degree seekers in the field of public policy. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 1,271 degrees in public policy annually.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings
Choosing a Great Public Policy School
The public policy program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Public Policy rankings. We derive our Best Overall Public Policy School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.
You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.
Public Policy Rankings by Degree Level
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Public Policy Schools in the Southeast Region list, to help you choose the best school for you.
If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat.
Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.
Best Schools for Public Policy in the Southeast Region
Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the public policy degree levels they offer.
10 Top Southeast Region Schools in Public Policy
Duke University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in public policy. Located in the city of Durham, Duke is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #7 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Duke is a great university overall.
There were about 288 public policy students who graduated with this degree at Duke in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the public policy degree program at Duke University get $13,985 more than the average college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.
More information about a degree in public policy from Duke University
Every student pursuing a degree in public policy has to look into University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. UNC Chapel Hill is a very large public university located in the city of Chapel Hill. A Best Colleges rank of #38 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UNC Chapel Hill is a great university overall.
There were roughly 172 public policy students who graduated with this degree at UNC Chapel Hill in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the public policy program earn around $48,252 for their early career.
More information about a degree in public policy from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Bachelors
Degree Type
BS in Business Administration - Public Administration
Program Name
Prepare yourself to make the decisions that best serve a community, its constituents and its economic growth with this specialized business degree from Southern New Hampshire University.
More information about a degree in BS in Business Administration - Public Administration from Southern New Hampshire UniversityRelated Programs
George Mason University is a good option for students pursuing a degree in public policy. GMU is a very large public university located in the suburb of Fairfax. A Best Colleges rank of #92 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means GMU is a great university overall.
There were roughly 92 public policy students who graduated with this degree at GMU in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the public policy program at George Mason University make $18,580 more than the average college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.
More information about a degree in public policy from George Mason University
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
6th
Most Popular In VA
Virginia Tech is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in public policy. Located in the city of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech is a public school with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #58 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Virginia Tech is a great school overall.
There were approximately 15 public policy students who graduated with this degree at Virginia Tech in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in public policy from Virginia Tech
Vanderbilt is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Nashville. A Best Colleges rank of #18 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Vanderbilt is a great university overall.
There were roughly 58 public policy students who graduated with this degree at Vanderbilt in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the public policy program at Vanderbilt University make $4,978 more than the standard graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
More information about a degree in public policy from Vanderbilt University
Located in the small suburb of Williamsburg, William & Mary is a public school with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #103 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means William & Mary is a great school overall.
There were about 53 public policy students who graduated with this degree at William & Mary in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the public policy program state that they receive average early career income of $36,703.
More information about a degree in public policy from William & Mary
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
1st
Most Popular In KY
UK is a fairly large public university located in the city of Lexington. This university ranks 1st out of 39 schools for overall quality in the state of Kentucky.
There were approximately 19 public policy students who graduated with this degree at UK in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in public policy from University of Kentucky
Masters
Degree Type
MBA in Public Administration
Program Name
Fit new strategic skills into your public service passion and goals when you earn an MBA in Public Administration from Southern New Hampshire University.
More information about a degree in MBA in Public Administration from Southern New Hampshire UniversityRelated Programs
Located in the city of Lynchburg, Liberty University is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. This university ranks 11th out of 57 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.
There were approximately 105 public policy students who graduated with this degree at Liberty University in the most recent year we have data available. Public Policy degree recipients from Liberty University earn a boost of around $2,317 over the average income of public policy majors.
More information about a degree in public policy from Liberty University
Located in the large city of Atlanta, Georgia State is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 17th out of 68 colleges for overall quality in the state of Georgia.
There were roughly 37 public policy students who graduated with this degree at Georgia State in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the public policy program earn an average of $42,215 in the first couple years of their career.
More information about a degree in public policy from Georgia State University
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
2nd
Most Popular In TN
Located in the city of Knoxville, UT Knoxville is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 41 schools for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.
There were approximately 24 public policy students who graduated with this degree at UT Knoxville in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in public policy from The University of Tennessee - Knoxville